Surface Anatomy of the Brainstem

Medical Neuroscience explores the functional organization and neurophysiology of the human central nervous system, while providing a neurobiological framework for understanding human behavior. In this course, you will discover the organization of the neural systems in the brain and spinal cord that mediate sensation, motivate bodily action, and integrate sensorimotor signals with memory, emotion and related faculties of cognition. The overall goal of this course is to provide the foundation for understanding the impairments of sensation, action and cognition that accompany injury, disease or dysfunction in the central nervous system. The course will build upon knowledge acquired through prior studies of cell and molecular biology, general physiology and human anatomy, as we focus primarily on the central nervous system.
This online course is designed to include all of the core concepts in neurophysiology and clinical neuroanatomy that would be presented in most first-year neuroscience courses in schools of medicine. However, there are some topics (e.g., biological psychiatry) and several learning experiences (e.g., hands-on brain dissection) that we provide in the corresponding course offered in the Duke University School of Medicine on campus that we are not attempting to reproduce in Medical Neuroscience online. Nevertheless, our aim is to faithfully present in scope and rigor a medical school caliber course experience.
This course comprises six units of content organized into 12 weeks, with an additional week for a comprehensive final exam:
- Unit 1 Neuroanatomy (weeks 1-2). This unit covers the surface anatomy of the human brain, its internal structure, and the overall organization of sensory and motor systems in the brainstem and spinal cord.
- Unit 2 Neural signaling (weeks 3-4). This unit addresses the fundamental mechanisms of neuronal excitability, signal generation and propagation, synaptic transmission, post synaptic mechanisms of signal integration, and neural plasticity.
- Unit 3 Sensory systems (weeks 5-7). Here, you will learn the overall organization and function of the sensory systems that contribute to our sense of self relative to the world around us: somatic sensory systems, proprioception, vision, audition, and balance senses.
- Unit 4 Motor systems (weeks 8-9). In this unit, we will examine the organization and function of the brain and spinal mechanisms that govern bodily movement.
- Unit 5 Brain Development (week 10). Next, we turn our attention to the neurobiological mechanisms for building the nervous system in embryonic development and in early postnatal life; we will also consider how the brain changes across the lifespan.
- Unit 6 Cognition (weeks 11-12). The course concludes with a survey of the association systems of the cerebral hemispheres, with an emphasis on cortical networks that integrate perception, memory and emotion in organizing behavior and planning for the future; we will also consider brain systems for maintaining homeostasis and regulating brain state.

從本節課中

Neuroanatomy: Surface Anatomy of the Human CNS

We now begin in earnest our lessons on neuroanatomy with the surface of the human brain, including a brief run through the cranial nerves and the blood supply to the CNS. In this module, you will learn the basic subdivisions of the vertebrate nervous system; however, your focus should be on the cerebral cortex. Along the way, you will be challenged to "build a digital brain" that should help you generate and improve your mental “model” of the cerebral hemispheres of the human brain. Another great way to refine your mental model is through sketching and crafting, so please do the learning objectives that are designed to help you make visible (and tangible) your understanding of the cerebral hemispheres.

與講師見面

Leonard E. White, Ph.D.

Associate ProfessorDepartment of Neurology, Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine; Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences; Director of Education, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences; Duke University

Hello everyone, welcome back to Medical Neuroscience.

And welcome to this brief review of the surface anatomy of the brain stem.

this is an attempt breakdown some of the complexity of the human brain.

And so my goal is to help you appreciate that complexity, but also give you a

framework for coming to grips with it. So there's actually nothing new in this

tutorial. Rather I want to put before you again the

surface of the brain stem because we will be diving shortly into the complexity of

the cranial nerves. And the nuclei and the brain stems into

which they connect. And I think in order to really get the

most out of the tutorials that you are about to view on these subjects.

It will be really important for you to be able to describe the surface features of

the midbrain. The pons and the medulla oblongata.

So what i want to do is to show you again the surface of the human brain stem.

here's, a model of the brain stem with parts of the deep fore brain nuclei

attached on the top. And I want you to be able to review the

surface features of the mid brain, the pons and the medulla.

As seen from the ventral view, as well as from the dorsal view as best we can.

So what I'm going to do is give you another look at the actual human brain

stem. And give you a chance just to refresh in

your mind what are the principle features that define each of these subdivisions.

Such as the cerebral peduncles of the mid-brain or the madgulara pyramids of

the medulla oblongata. So, I hope you enjoy this review and I

hope it sets the stage for a productive viewing of the remaining tutorial.

That pertain to the way the cranial nerves connect with this complex part of

the human brain. So, I'll see you next in the lab.

For this lab lesson we want to explore the ventral surface of the human brain.

So I'm going to take this specimen and hold it up so that you can have a clear

view of the ventral surface of the brain. Now if I tilt the specimen a little bit

more you can appreciate our dark space. Just behind these mammillary bodies.

And this is roughly the junction of the diencephalon and the midbrain.

In fact, the space is defined by these two broad columns, called the cerebral

peduncles, or cerebral stalks. One on either side of the space.

Those stalks are a component of the midbrain, or the mesencephalon.

And as the tern peduncle or stock implies this is a massive bundle of white matter.

That allows the forebrain to connect with everything below it, the hind brain and

the spinal cord. Now just inferior to the cerebral

peduncles as we see them here in the mid brain is the pons.

And the cerebellum, the pons extends out laterally again another massive bundle of

white matter connecting the brain stem to the cerebellum.

And just inferior to the pons we have the medulla oblongata or the medulla for

short. And on the ventral view of the medulla

two striking features appear along the mid line.

It's a pair of structures called the medulla pyramids that run on other side

of the mid line. This is a very important fiber pathway

that runs through the brainstem. It's called the cortical spinal tract,

and there's one on each side of the midline.

These tracts contain the fibers of the motor cortex that are sending their axons

down into the spinal cord to govern voluntary movement.

One additional feature of the medulla rhat sits just next to the medullary

pyramid, is this bulging shape. It looks like an olive that has been cut

in half, and stuck to the side of the medulla.

Just lateral to the medullary pyramid. And thankfully, that's what we call this